About Us

Our Vision:

A future where all the citizens in New Westminster have access to safe and affordable housing and supports and no one in the City is homeless.

Our Mission:

Create a continuum of housing options and supports in the City of New Westminster for those people who are homeless, at risk of being homeless, vulnerable or requiring assistance to secure a home.

History:

The New Westminster Homelessness Coalition was formed in 2005 to bring together a range of people and organizations working to address homelessness in New Westminster. The NWHC now includes over 35 members representing service providers, community-based organizations and all levels of government.

The NWHC works together with the Metro Vancouver Regional Steering Committee on Homelessness, which developed and oversees the implementation of the Regional Homelessness Plan for Greater Vancouver. The Plan has guided the provision of shelter and services in the region since 2000. Together with the Regional Steering Committee, the NWHC has been successful in influencing policy and securing funding for projects that are aimed at reducing homelessness.

The coalition is funded by the City of New Westminster, private donors and also receives some assistance and planning/promotional materials from the Regional Steering Committee on Homelessness.

In 2010, we moved closer towards our goal of developing and implementing effective strategies to end homelessness in the city of New Westminster. Our member organizations deliver housing, outreach, food, job training, crisis intervention, and youth programs, and witness first-hand the day to day challenges of poverty and homelessness in our city. We continue to work on addressing the needs of the homeless in New Westminster; enabling many people to permanently break the cycle of homelessness.

Also in 2010, we continued to work on developing our action plan to address homeless issues, and began work on specific action items. Sub-committees were formed to develop our organizational framework, and examine and tackle gaps in services.

The Coalition agreed to incorporate in January of 2012, and became a society on May 31, 2012, in order to better succeed in our long-term mission to help those in need in New Westminster. So, officially, we are now the New Westminster Homelessness Coalition Society or NWHCS.

We are a young organization, and gaining momentum quickly. Through our strategic alliance and Annual Fund-raising Dinner, we believe we can make homelessness a thing of the past. We thank our members and funders for their hard work and dedication, and look forward to working together for another powerful year.